President Bush on Tuesday nominated James Peake, a Vietnam veteran and the Army’s former chief doctor, as Veterans Affairs secretary.

“When confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Peake will bring his unique set of skills and experience to the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Bush said during a White House appearance with the nominee.

Peake, Army surgeon general from 2000-2004, was appointed to that position by President Clinton. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1966, served as a platoon leader with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam and attended Cornell University Medical College. Most recently, Peake has served as chief medical director and chief operating officer of QTC Management, Inc., which provides medical examination and electronic medical records services for public and private clients.

QTC’s chairman is Anthony Principi, a widely-respected former Veterans Affairs secretary who served under Bush from 2001-2005.

Peake comes to the department at a time when it faces challenges in treating a new wave of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with illnesses such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. It also faces a massive disability claims backlog that former secretary Jim Nicholson was unable to get under control.

Democrats and veterans’ groups have pushed Bush to nominate someone well-versed in veterans’ issues, and some complained that the administration moved too slowly to replace Nicholson, who left Sept. 30. Peake, who has spent nearly his entire career in military health care, would appear to fit that bill. If he is confirmed, he would be the first medical doctor to hold the post.